Air conditioner heater control based on power supply cord parameters

• US 9,784,461 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2014
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc. DBA GE Appliances (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Billman, David William, Henderson, Richard Dustin, Moore, Harold D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Everett, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US14/468,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20160061501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/30 for purposes related to the operation of the system, e.g. for safety or monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/49 ensuring correct operation, e.g. by trial operation or configuration checks
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/63 Electronic processing
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/77 by controlling the speed of ventilators
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 11/88 Electrical aspects, e.g. circuits
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2140/00 Control inputs relating to system states
• CPC Class Codes: F24F 2221/34 Heater, e.g. gas burner, electric air heater
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 13/00 Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle defrosting cycles F25B47/02
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/02 for compression type machines, plants or systems

Abstract

Air conditioner units and methods of operating the same are provided. One example method includes determining whether one or more heaters included in the air conditioner unit are energized. The method includes determining whether an operating speed of a fan included in the air conditioner unit is less than a threshold speed. The method includes determining whether a power provided to the air conditioner unit by a utilized power supply cord is greater than a threshold power. The method includes de-energizing at least one of the one or more heaters when it is determined that the one or more heaters are energized, the operating speed of the fan is less than the threshold speed, and the power provided by the utilized power supply cord is greater than the threshold power.

Claims

1. A method for operating an air conditioner unit, the method comprising:

determining whether one or more heaters included in the air conditioner unit are energized;

determining whether an operating speed of a fan included in the air conditioner unit is less than a threshold speed;

determining a power rating of a utilized power supply cord that is used to provide power to the air conditioner unit;

determining whether the power rating of the utilized power supply cord is greater than a threshold power; and

when it is determined that the one or more heaters are energized, the operating speed of the fan is less than the threshold speed, and the power rating of the utilized power supply cord is greater than the threshold power;

de-energizing at least one of the one or more heaters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the power rating of the utilized power supply cord comprises determining an amperage rating of the utilized power supply cord, and wherein determining whether the power rating of the utilized power supply cord is greater than the threshold power comprises determining whether the amperage rating of the utilized power supply cord exceeds a threshold amperage.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the utilized power supply cord is one of a plurality of different power supply cords that are capable of interchangeable use with the air conditioner unit, wherein the plurality of different power supply cords are capable of respectively providing power at a plurality of different amperages; and

determining the power rating of the utilized power supply comprises determining which of the plurality of different power supply cords has been utilized.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the utilized power supply cord is one of a plurality of different power supply cords that are capable of interchangeable use with the air conditioner unit, wherein the plurality of different power supply cords are capable of respectively providing power at a plurality of different amperages;

the plurality of different power supply cords comprise a first set of power supply cords that are capable of supplying power at amperages that are greater than a threshold amperage and a second set of power supply cords that are not capable of supplying power at amperages that are greater than the threshold amperage; and

determining the power rating of the utilized power supply cord comprises determining a voltage at a first electrical connection between the utilized power supply cord and a power input interface of the air conditioner unit, wherein the voltage at the first electrical connection is a first value when the utilized power supply cord belongs to the first set of power supply cords, and wherein the voltage at the first electrical connection is a second value when the utilized power supply cord belongs to the second set of power supply cords, the first value being different than the second value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the power input interface of the air conditioner unit comprises a plurality of electrical connections that respectively connect to a plurality of output connections of the utilized power supply cord;

each of the first set of power supply cords include one or more wiring jumpers that cause a positive voltage to be provided at the first connection; and

each of the second set of power supply cords do not include one or more wiring jumpers supplying power to the first connection, such that a zero voltage is provided at the first connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the one or more heaters comprise a first heater, a second heater, and a third heater;

the first heater operates at a first wattage;

the second heater operates at a second wattage that is greater than the first wattage;

the third heater operates a third wattage that is greater than the second wattage; and

de-energizing at least one of the one or more heaters comprises de-energizing only the first heater.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the one or more heaters included in the air conditioner unit are energized comprises determining, by a controller of the air conditioner unit, whether the air conditioner unit is operating in a heating mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the operating speed of the fan included in the air conditioner unit is less than the threshold speed comprises determining, by a controller of the air conditioner unit, whether the air conditioner unit is operating in a low fan speed mode, wherein the air conditioner unit is operable in at least a low fan speed mode and a high fan speed mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining, by the controller of the air conditioner unit, whether the air conditioner unit is operating in the low fan speed mode comprises determining, by the controller of the air conditioner unit, whether an ambient indoor temperature is within a threshold amount from a set point temperature, wherein the air conditioner operates in the low fan speed mode when the ambient indoor temperature is within the threshold amount from the set point temperature.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when it is determined that the one or more heaters are not energized, the operating speed of the fan is not less than the threshold speed, or the power provided by the utilized power supply cord is not greater than the threshold power:

maintaining operating of the air conditioner unit according to one or more current settings.

11. An air conditioner unit, comprising:

one or more heaters;

a fan for inducing airflow across the one or more heaters;

a power input interface for receiving power from a utilized power supply cord that is electrically connected to the power input interface and that supplies power to the air conditioner unit, wherein the power input interface comprises a plurality of electrical connections, and wherein the utilized power supply cord comprises one of a plurality of different power supply cords that are interchangeable for providing power to the power input interface, the plurality of different power supply cords being capable of respectively providing power at a plurality of different amperages;

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the air conditioner unit to perform operations, the operations comprising;

determining whether the one or more heaters are energized;

determining whether an operating speed of the fan is less than a threshold speed;

determining an amperage rating of the utilized power supply cord;

determining whether the amperage rating of the utilized power supply cord is greater than a threshold amperage; and

de-energizing at least one of the one or more heaters when it is determined that the one or more heaters are energized, the operating speed of the fan is less than the threshold speed, and the amperage rating of the utilized power supply cord is greater than the threshold amperage.

12. The air conditioner unit of claim 11, wherein determining the amperage rating of the utilized power supply cord comprises determining a first voltage at a first electrical connection of the plurality of electrical connections of the power input interface.

13. The air conditioner unit of claim 12, wherein:

the first voltage comprises a first value when the amperage rating of the utilized power supply cord is greater than the threshold amperage;

the first voltage comprises a second value when the amperage rating of the utilized power supply cord is not greater than the threshold amperage;

the first value is greater than the second value.

14. The air conditioner unit of claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of different power supply cords comprise a first set of power supply cords and a second set of power supply cords;

the first set of power supply cords respectively supply power at amperages that are greater than the threshold amperage;

the second set of power supply cords respectively do not supply power at amperages that are greater than the threshold amperage; and

each of the first set of power supply cords comprises one or more wiring jumpers that cause the first voltage to comprise the first value when power is supplied to the air conditioner unit.

15. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause an air conditioner unit to perform operations, the operations comprising:

determining whether an air conditioner unit is operating in a heating mode or a cooling mode;

when it is determined that the air conditioner unit is operating in the heating mode, determining whether a fan speed setting of the air conditioner unit is set to a low fan speed setting;

when it is determined that the fan speed setting of the air conditioner unit is set to the low fan speed setting, determining whether a first amperage at which a utilized power supply cord is supplying power to the air conditioner unit is greater than a threshold amperage wherein determining whether the first amperage at which the utilized power supply cord is supplying power to the air conditioner unit is greater than the threshold amperage comprises determining a first voltage at a first electrical connection of a power input interface that receives the power from the utilized power supply cord, wherein the first voltage is greater than a threshold voltage when the utilized power supply cord is rated to provide amperages greater than the threshold amperage; and

when it is determined that the first amperage is greater than the threshold amperage, disabling at least one heater included in the air conditioner unit.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the first voltage at the first electrical connection of the power input interface is greater than the threshold voltage only when the utilized power supply cord is rated to provide amperages greater than the threshold amperage.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the utilized power supply cord comprises one or more jumpers that provide non-zero voltage to the first electrical connection only when the utilized power supply cord is rated to provide amperages greater than the threshold amperage.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein disabling the at least one heater included in the air conditioner unit comprises disabling a first heater included in the air conditioner, the air conditioner having a second heater and a third heater in addition to the first heater.